Hello all, it's been a while since I posted an update but I finally worked up some motivation to write again. The core problem of not being able to come up with a way to neutralize Objects is still a problem, but maybe something will come to me.

I really must apologize since I've been slacking on this, but writing is really not something I can force myself to do so I tend to not be prompt. However, I have a bit of motivation lately so I'm going to try and update some of my stories that have been sitting for a while. I didn't even realize it's been over 2 years since I've updated a couple of them, yet I feel that I managed to improve, so I hope I can make the wait slightly worthwhile.

Anyway, this is an in-between chapter that was necessary to setup what will happen in chapter 5. I have no Idea when I will manage to write the next chapter, but I will try to work on it piece by piece.

Rambling aside, read and enjoy.

"Tensions continue to rise in many Faith Organization as protests continue in many cities in the home countries. The Venerable Elder's calls for the citizens to stand down seem to have fallen on deaf ears as the violence continues to escalate"

"Casualties rise in the ongoing conflicts in the Legitimacy Kindgom after several high-profile assassinations caused a succession crisis in Central Europe. Several arrests have been made after the foiled attempt at Princess Staivia Nikolaschka's life earlier this week."

"Communist factions in the Capitalist Corporation controlled regions around the world once again came into conflict with local peacekeepers. Field reporters also witnessed nationalist militias taking up arms against both Communist militants and CC peacekeeping mercenaries; more news to follow."

"Information Alliance officials expressed concern over severe infrastructure breakdowns due to the now widespread trend of citizenry hiding as much of their data as possible. Several popular online forums have indicated a growing resentment of the lack of privacy."

"Man, the world really is going to hell in a hand basket."

The nobleman Heivia Winchell grimaced as he put down the small touch screen tablet he was using to browse the world news. He leaned back in the elegantly carved wooden chair he was seated in until the front two legs were no longer touching the floor. A porcelain tea cup with a saucer was placed on the table and filled with hot tea from a kettle by a tall, silver-haired maid with an eye patch covering her right eye.

The nobleman was currently sitting in the grand dining room of the main Winchell household. The bright June morning sun shone through the large glass windows and the birds could be heard chirping about. After being honorably discharged from the military following Quenser's capture, he forcefully took hold of the leadership of the Winchell family with the support of a vast majority of the combat maids and several of his much younger siblings. Seven months had passed since his status as the head of the house was officially confirmed by the Legitimacy Kingdom bureaucrats, and the voices of dissent had long since vanished. Even his engagement to the Vanderbilt daughter was proceeding smoothly with the ceremony planned for early spring. Things were going very well for him on a personal level, which only made him even more uneasy.

"Is there anything concerning you Master?" The silver-haired maid broke the young man out of his thoughts as she calmly stood next to him. Heivia glanced towards the woman that raised him in his rebellious youth then back to his front.

"Something's just not sitting right with me. The succession has been going far too smoothly, even with all of the accolades I had acquired. As much as I'd like to chalk it all up to my charm I've got a bad feeling there's another hand in this." The young man took a sip of the high-quality tea he had been provided and placed the cup back down on the saucer. He let his chair fall forward so that it rested back on all four legs and slowly rubbed his chin in thought.

"Oh? You were so confident a few months ago, now you're starting to think things through? What's this? Is my master finally starting to show some thought fitting of the household head?" The maid's sharp tongue seemed to ignore the status of master and maid as she calmly grilled Heivia. However, as she said that she brought out another small touch screen tablet and pressed a few buttons. "Still, your instincts are as sharp as ever. A rather strange man calling himself The Evil God of a Thousand Faces slipped by our security and delivered a small flash drive with some rather interesting information on it."

As the maid operated the device in her hand, Heivia's brow furrowed at the news. "'The Evil God of a Thousand Faces'? That sounds familiar but I can't quite remember why…" The man's eyes closed in thought as he folded his arms. The maid placed the tablet on the table in front of him as she spoke again. "He said he owed your friend for an incident at the Panama Canal, does that ring any bells?"

Heivia took a moment before his eyes suddenly opened as he recognized the name. "Nyarlathotep. So that bastard was still alive after all. I remember Quenser keeping him alive so that the blame of the assassination of a CC CEO could be placed on him in an official trial. His cell exploded when someone came to assassinate him, but I don't know why he thinks Quenser owes him for that." Heivia took another sip of his tea after quietly speaking his thoughts. His eyes wandered to the tablet placed in front of him and he picked it up as his maid started explaining some more.

"Whatever the case, we already ran this by the more loyal members of the information division and found that this rather disturbing report is most likely true. While you may have left the battlefield over a year ago, you still keep contact with some of your former comrades do you not? Especially that black-haired girl." A slight touch of accusation entered the voice of the maid at the last sentence and Heivia slightly curled up in his chair.

The young man shrugged off the accusatory tone of the maid and picked up the tablet. As he read through the files being shown on the small screen, he could feel his lips curl in disgust. He continued through the information as he cursed under his breath.

"...Those motherfuckers."

Concerning the Use of the Mirror of Truth to Neutralize the Defector Quenser Barbotage.

The former Dragon Killer of the 37thC.M.B. has been confirmed to be working with the Information Alliance as an adviser in anti-Object operations thanks to the efforts of our Intelligence Division. According to the reports from various spies located throughout the Information Alliance, he has been credited with playing a key role in many of our catastrophic defeats over the past year. Attempts at traditional assassination have all ended in failure as he is guarded by even more protection than a colonel. As such, we have made a deal with the criminal Sladder Honeysuckle, the only other man with the intellect to counter the disgraced Dragon Killer.

His suggestion is to use the Mirror of Truth (see the attached documents for the details of this project) to force him to do battle against the Baby Magnum and Exact Javelin. Several prolific members of the committee have expressed doubt about how effective such a hostage situation would work as Barbotage most likely will not be calling the shots. However, given his actions during the incidents in the Alps with the original Mirror of Truth and in Second Venice regarding the Argeiphontes, the use of former elites Milinda Brantini and Catherine Barbotage (formerly Catherine Blueangel) as hostages may break his concentration and allow for a victory in a 2v1 Object battle. Barring that, Honeysuckle also recommended that explosives be set with the ejection seats in the event that Barbotage manages to safely eject both pilots. The committee once again voiced concerns about the international image if we were to kill our own pilots like this, and the concerns of Elites defecting. For this operation, the utmost care must be taken to prevent an information from leaking. The dangers are tremendous, but the defector must be killed.

"Now it all makes sense…" Heivia finished reading the report and haphazardly tossed the tablet back to the maid. The leaned back in his chair and stared at the grand ceiling. "So I was right after all, it really was too easy." A breath escaped his lips as he processed the details of his current situation. "Whoever is is charge of all of this probably streamlined my path to taking over the house and getting married as a way of shackling me. They already planned for the possibility of me finding out and set things up so that I would lose too much if I acted to stop it. This peaceful life is a warning…"

The young man sighed and rested his elbows on the table with his forehead held by his hands. His eyes drifted to his personal tablet that was still sitting on the table, attached to the top was a small but expensive charm that was given to him by his fiance to celebrate his ascension to the head of the Winchell household. He had traveled countless battlefields to finally earn the clout needed to brush aside the objections of both of their families and secure their marriage, he could not just toss that hard-earned happy ending away now. However, he also refused to allow the Elite who had helped him through those battles nor the adopted family of his old partner to be cruelly brainwashed and sent to die either. The quick mind that had helped him survive hell started to turn.

"Karen, I assume you already have some people working on finding out more about this by now." The maid nodded once as her beloved master calmly made his decision. "Good, I've got some favors to call in. We may technically be enemies now, but this is something I just can't stomach." Heivia quickly finished up his tea and stood up from his chair. With the maid following close behind he walked to one of the more secure rooms of the luxurious mansion. The ornate furnishing of the room clashed with the high-tech military-grade hardware that filled it.

"First things first I want you to get in touch with Unicorn, if they complain just tell them that a princess for a princess is a fair trade with a little sister added as interest."